Someone Like You
by River9Noble
Summary: War is hell and PTSD doesn't discriminate. Harry might be wizarding world's new hero, but how is Hermione coping with the after-effects of the war? A certain Slytherin turns out to be the only one who understands. DracoXHermione, Dramione.
1. Chapter 1

_Wars leave scars…_

**_Chapter__ One_**

Hermione rounded the aisle of Flourish and Blott's on a slow Tuesday morning and found herself face to face with a certain blond Slytherin.

"Granger," Draco acknowledged with a raised eyebrow.

"Malfoy," she answered back without heat. Draco took in her thin frame and exhausted features.

"You look terrible," he assessed.

"So do you," Hermione said, noticing his bloodshot eyes underlined with dark circles. His once meticulously styled blond hair was shaggy and disheveled, lacking the copious products and enchantments that Draco had been so fond of back in their Hogwarts days.

"I know, I'm a mess," Draco said, rubbing a hand tiredly over his eyes in an attempt to get some of the stuck-on sleepy bits out. "I'm glad I ran into you," he said on his weary exhale. "I was beginning to think that I was the only wizard or witch actually fucked up by the damn war," he added bitterly. Hermione shook her head as she let out a short caustic laugh.

"My thoughts exactly," she muttered. "You know, the reporters wouldn't leave me alone after the Aurors snapped Harry up and made him their Golden Boy. 'Hermione! Hermione'" she mimicked, "'what's the brightest witch of our age going to do now that the war's over? What fantastic contribution to wizarding society are you going to make next, Hermione?'" Draco growled sympathetically, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"And I bet you still need Dreamless Sleep every night, right?" he asked.

"Yep," Hermione replied. "Being groggy all day, not to mention horribly on edge whenever I'm around people, does not mesh well with jobs in top research departments or apprenticeships or, Merlin help me, teaching at Hogwarts." Draco groaned.

"Minerva didn't," he said.

"She did," Hermione answered. "Muggle studies," she giggled. Draco's eyes brightened for a second as he laughed with her. Suddenly making a decision, he bumped her with his shoulder.

"You want to come over and get drunk with me?"

"_Yes,_" Hermione immediately answered with relish. As they started to walk out of the store to a good apparition point, Hermione froze, grabbing his hand. "You don't live at the Manor…?" she asked fearfully. Draco squeezed her hand back reassuringly.

"Fuck, no," he said. "Snape left me Spinner's End in his will."

"Oh," Hermione breathed in relief. Draco didn't let go of her hand as they walked behind the bookstore, turning his palm to intertwine their fingers which prompted a warm squeeze back from Hermione as she kept her hand in his, swinging them together as they turned the corner.

Draco dropped her hand only to put his arm snugly around her as he prepared to side-apparate her. "You ready?" he asked, looking down protectively into her brown eyes which had grown a little more life-like than when she had first crossed his path a few minutes ago.

"Yes," Hermione answered, looking back up at him with a small but happy smile. Draco smiled back before apparating them to Spinner's End.

_Please review! Btw, this story has nothing to do with the Adele song. The title is a nod to the old Ashley Judd/Hugh Jackman rom-com. I'm showing my age, some of you probably weren't even born when that came out. xx _


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Where are you living now?" Draco asked her as he handed her a glass of firewhiskey. Hermione took an appreciative swallow before answering.

"Harry bought me a flat nearby the Ministry," she answered and sighed. "I didn't want to let him, but…"

"But he's rich and he owes you," Draco finished the sentence for her. Hermione's eyes sparkled.

"Yes. Something like that."

"Exactly like that," Draco said, pulling Hermione to a seat on the couch next to him. Hermione's voice broke.

"You know, I never even see him anymore," she said softly, looking down at her glass.

"I'm not surprised," Draco said. Hermione jerked her head up to him, hurt filling her eyes. "Fuck, I didn't mean because of _you," _Draco said quickly, reaching his hand out to stroke her head in a soothing gesture. "I just meant he's such a wanker and an attention whore. All he ever did was use you to do his homework and catch the Dark Lord for him." Hermione's eyes filled with tears and she sniffed, wiping them with the back of her hand.

"Yes, well, I didn't have a lot of people lining up to be my friend," she huffed defensively.

"I know, baby," Draco said, running the back of his hand along her hair and then twisting a curl around his fingers. "Intellectuals who like to read and study and actually give a shit about learning are a rare breed at Hogwarts.I ought to know," he muttered bitterly. Hermione glanced at him.

"That's partly why I hated him so much," Draco went on, "for taking advantage of you when I would have given _anything _to be your friend." Hermione's eyes had gone wide in confusion.

"Then why _weren't _you my friend?" she asked. Draco shook his head defeatedly.

"Things were really bad at home, 'Mione," he said, startling her with his affectionate use of her first name. "Like, way worse than you probably thought. I was just a kid, I didn't know the abuse wasn't normal until I was older, but…" he trailed off for a minute, then continued. "I knew the other Purebloods would tell their parents if I became best friends with a Muggle, and their parents would tell _my_ parents, and then all hell would break loose…" He reached for her hand.

"I am so, so sorry for every way that I hurt you," he said, regret filling his gray eyes as they met her softening brown ones. "In my stupid child mind, I hated you for being a Muggle because if you weren't a Muggle, we could have been friends - real friends - and read together and studied and written ridiculously long homework assignments and -" Hermione suddenly leaned forward and kissed him, softly at first but with so much tender longing. Draco dropped her hand to cradle her face and pull her in tighter as he returned her kiss gratefully.

Hermione pulled back for a minute and tossed the rest of her firewhiskey down her throat before letting the glass roll onto the floor with a smile as she crawled into Draco's lap to straddle him, leaning in with both arms around his neck to properly kiss him. As Draco's glass had been fortuitously resting on the coffee table, he was free to wrap both arms around her and hold her as they kissed with the tender unhurriedness of long-time lovers instead of the fervency that one might have expected upon discovering a new passion.

Half an hour later, when Hermione was resting her head on his shoulder, legs turned astride him as he cuddled her in his lap, Draco broke the cozy silence to abruptly ask "You're not with the Weasel anymore, I hope?" Hermione laughed bitterly.

"No, because he really is a bloody weasel." Draco threw his head back and laughed.

"_Yes!_ I have been waiting my whole life to hear you say that, Hermione Granger!" he exclaimed in delight before changing gears abruptly to hug her close and ask in a serious DeathEater growl, "He didn't hurt you, did he?" Hermione sighed.

"No," she said dispiritedly, "not physically anyway." Draco gave another low growl in the back of his throat.

"Will you tell me about it?" he asked. Hermione idly rubbed a hand over his chest as she spoke.

"Well, you know Fred died," she said. Draco nodded.

"Yeah, I was really sorry to hear that," he said sincerely, breathing out a heavy sigh. Hermione continued.

"So, I moved into the Burrow right after we killed you-know-who, because my parents were gone too -" Draco put a finger on her lips for a moment.

"I'm so fucking sorry to hear that, and I want you to tell me about that next - but keep going about the Weasel first." Hermione nodded.

"Well, so I was living at the Burrow, sharing a room with Ginny -" Draco raised an eyebrow.

"Not with Ron? House rules?"

"No, my rules," Hermione said with a frown. "That was part of the problem. Ron and I had barely started dating, and I'd lost my parents that year, and Fred, and so many others plus we were in a _war_, and I was only sixteen, dammit, and I just wasn't ready to lose my virginity too! It's my body," she glowered angrily. "And it's a really big deal." Draco rocked her reassuringly.

"Of course it is, baby," he said. "And off topic but slightly on topic, I won't pressure you for anything you're not ready for."

"Thank you," Hermione said. "Ron did." Draco cursed.

"That fuckin' _git_! He pressured you for sex even after you told him you weren't ready?" Hermione felt tears start to prick her eyes as she nodded.

"A lot, actually. And he got so mean about it, too. I mean, I know he lost Fred and he was grieving, but I'd lost my parents too, which he didn't even think counted in the tally of who had lost what - 'At least they're not _dead_, Hermione!' - that's what he'd say to me -" Draco interrupted her again.

"Ok, baby, I'm sorry, but now you have to explain. What happened to your parents?" He looked at her with so much concern in his eyes that Hermione's tears started to overflow. She hugged his chest tighter as she managed to choke out, "I… I obliviated them. So they wouldn't remember me." She heard Draco's quick intake of breath but tried to finish explaining before completely breaking down. "I moved them to Australia so they'd be safe from the DeathEaters. Before the war ended, you know, things were just so bad and…" Draco was holding her tight and rocking her hard as she turned her head into his shoulder and bawled, huge sobs heaving out of her.

Draco just held her while she cried, rubbing the back of her head occasionally, but keeping silent instead of offering the crap that people usually responded with of "It's ok," or "At least they're safe." After a long while Hermione looked up and saw Draco's face covered with tears, too. She reached up a hand to wipe them away.

"Thank you," she said. He sniffed.

"For what, baby?" Hermione shrugged.

"For holding me. For not trying to make it better. For being you." Draco pressed his forehead into hers as he looked into her eyes.

"I think," he said roughly, needing to pause to clear his throat, "that you are, without a doubt, the bravest and most selfless person that I have ever met." Hermione smiled sadly as she melted back up into him, kissing him a few times before wiping her eyes and settling back down, head on his shoulder.

"So, Ron," she said.

"The Weasel," Draco replied. "How did it end?" Hermione sighed.

"Nothing dramatic, really. Neither one of us was ready to get jobs and we sure as hell weren't going back to Hogwarts after everything - could you imagine being _students_ again? After fighting a war? So we just got into a holding pattern at the Burrow for the first month or so, the whole Weasley family was devastated and nothing was the same there. It used to be such a happy, busy, noisy place, you know?"

Draco didn't know but he nodded, imagining it would be. Hermione went on. "It was just so quiet afterwards, even with all of us there. We all just moped around, and Ron would snap at me all the time, and every time we got alone he'd push me for sex and call me a selfish cold bitch who didn't love him because I wasn't willing to give him what he needed for comfort, didn't I know his _brother_ had died, and why was I making such a big deal about sex, it's not like we weren't adults now anyway -" Hermione cut herself off as she heard her voice rising in anger.

Draco muttered something that suspiciously sounded like "If I was still a DeathEater…" Hermione took a deep breath to calm herself, snuggling into him.

"It's ok, Draco. Really," she added when he raised an eyebrow at her. "It's what made me break up with him, and I am _so_ glad I did. And even gladder that I didn't sleep with him," she added, wrinkling her nose in disgust. He finally smiled at her.

"Well, I'm glad for that, too," he said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "And I won't be an ass about it no matter how long you want to wait." Hermione smiled as she relaxed into him.

"I know you won't be. You're completely different from him." Draco grinned.

"I never thought I'd hear you say that as a positive," he said. Hermione giggled.

"I know," she said. Then she wrinkled her forehead, playing with his shirt buttons like she wanted to say something, but couldn't quite bring herself to.

"What is it?" Draco asked finally.

"I mean, it doesn't matter," she said, blushing a little bit, "but I guess you've had sex before, right?"

"Oh," Draco said, blushing some himself. "Um, about that."

"It's ok," Hermione said. "I don't need names. I guess. Although if I run into someone who's been with you it might be weird if they know and I don't and - not that it's really my business, though, so you know what? It's ok. You can just give me a general idea. Or not. I mean, whatever you want to tell me is fine." Hermione was bright red at this point as she babbled nervously. Draco swallowed and looked profusely embarrassed.

"I haven't had sex," he blurted out. Hermione startled, searching his eyes to see if he was telling the truth.

"_Really?_" she asked with perhaps a tiny bit of hopeful pleasure in her voice. Draco looked down, also red, and ran his hand through his hair before meeting her eyes again sheepishly.

"Really. I mean, like you said, we were so young at Hogwarts, and being a horny teenager didn't necessarily mean I wanted to actually have sex with anyone, especially because…" he paused, and then muttered, face red as a Weasley's hair, "the only person I really wanted to have sex with was you."

A happy noise burst from Hermione's throat as she threw her arms around Draco's neck and pulled him down to kiss her.

"Why were you nervous to tell me that?" she asked a few minutes later. Draco still looked a little embarrassed.

"Well, you know, everyone acts like it's some rite of manhood and like you're a total pussy if you're not having it as soon and as often and with as many people as you possibly can, and …" Hermione looked at him firmly.

"Everyone else is full of shit," she announced decisively. She put her hands on his cheeks. "I _love_ that we will be each other's firsts, so everybody else can go to hell." Draco's gray eyes smiled warmly at her.

"You are the best witch ever, Hermione Granger," he said with full sincerity.

"Yes," Hermione agreed. "And," she added happily, "I am _your_ witch."

_Please review! So, this has nothing to do with the Adele song, but give I'll Be (Your Crying Shoulder) by Edwin McCain a listen if you want the right mood music. Again, my age. LOL xx _


	3. Chapter 3

_Thanks for the follows! Reviews would also be awesome! _

_**Chapter 3**_

"You want some more to drink?" Hermione asked, uncurling herself from Draco's lap to refill her glass, which she had to find first on the floor.

"I want to finish the one I had that got interrupted by some fantastic snogging," Draco answered her with a grin, leaning forward to grab his firewhiskey off the coffee table.

"It was freakin' fantastic snogging," Hermione agreed, pouring herself another drink before snuggling back up next to Draco on the couch. "I feel so comfortable with you," Hermione said musingly, resting her head on his shoulder.

"I know," Draco said. "Running into you at the bookstore was like running into myself in a mirror."

"Mm," Hermione hummed. "I honestly don't know if you're insulting my appearance or complimenting it given that you look like something Crooks had killed, eaten, and vomited back up on my carpet."

"Sassy witch," Draco said affectionately. "You know we're both incredibly beautiful. Even hungover and strung out." Hermione snorted.

"Since when am I incredibly beautiful? You've seen my hair, right? Oh, of course you have, silly me, how could I forget all the frizzy-haired comments that a certain blond Slytherin with looks and especially hair that would make a male model drool used to insult me with?"

"Shit, I was hoping you'd blocked those out with all the rest of the war trauma," Draco said deadpan. Hermione giggled and elbowed him. "I love your hair," he added adoringly, lifting his hand from her shoulder to twist strands around his fingers in awe.

"No, you don't!" Hermione flatly contradicted. "I don't even love my hair and it's my hair. It's the worst."

"Bite your tongue, "Mione!" Draco said in a horror-stricken voice. "That's sacrilege! I will not - not, you hear me? - have the hair of my wildest sexual fantasies insulted in such a crass manner." Hermione turned her head to look up at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Sexual fantasies?" she asked.

"Of the most delicious nature," Draco said with true satisfaction, sighing nostalgically as he reminisced.

"Like what?" Hermione insisted. "How the hell does hair - my hair, of all hair - make you hot?"

"Oh, baby," Draco said with a deep growl. "Where to start? You kneeling in front of me sucking me off with those sexy corkscrews bobbing all over the place while your mouth bobs up and down on my dick and sometimes I can't even see your face because you're so into it that your hair's flying everywhere -"

"Oh my," Hermione said, blushing. "I, um, wow. That visual -"

"Or," Draco said enthusiastically, getting warmed up now, "me lying in our bed on a black silk sheet - which shows off my hair to its best advantage for your viewing pleasure - while you're riding me on top, your hair bouncing in the wind as you buck and writhe -"

"Wow," Hermione tried to cut in. "I think I'm getting the idea now. Wow," she added with even pinker cheeks. "That's… very flattering and … hoo," she waved her face with her hand. "It's getting awfully warm in here."

"Yes, flap that hand, baby!" Draco urged. "It makes your tight little ringlets blow in the breeze."

"Stop!" Hermione giggled, elbowing him again. "You're embarrassing me! I get the point, you like my hair."

"Or I could be fucking you from behind," Draco went on as if she hadn't spoken, "with your long curls wrapped around each hand like reins, and I'd be tugging on them as I slammed into you while admiring your equally gorgeous butt -" Hermione grabbed the side pillow and smacked him in the face with it, laughing hard even though she was bright red. Draco growled with the threat of retribution as he pulled the pillow off his face and tackled her sideways onto the couch, laying on top of her.

"No tickling!" Hermione shrieked. "No tickling!" Draco raised a slow eyebrow as he ran even slower hands gently up her sides.

"I'm surprised at you, Hermione," he said. "Tickling is so juvenile and our childhoods were annihilated by someone whose name we won't mention. Harry Potter!" he coughed out. Hermione laughed but wriggled anxiously as his hands came up to her face.

"Then what are you going to do?" she said nervously. "I don't trust you."

"Hermione, that hurts," Draco said, pouting. "All I want to do is... " he pressed a kiss to her forehead in mock innocence, then slid his mouth over to her hairline before wrapping his lips around one of her curls and drawing the length of it through his mouth. With, apparently, a lot of tongue involved.

"Ew!" Hermione shrieked as the saliva-sopped curl hit her in the face. Draco was laughing so hard he couldn't get words out with Hermione giggling under him until he finally collapsed on top of her, worn out.

"I love you," he said happily, without thinking. She turned her head to meet the eyes in the front of the blond head that she was cradling on her chest. Draco inhaled sharply.

"Shit!" he said, trying to draw back from her. "I didn't mean - well, I did mean - but, don't feel pressured - Fuck, I'm an idiot!" he started to babble.

"You really love me?" Hermione asked softly. He blushed.

"Since forever, 'Mione," he admitted.

"I love you, too," she said back, smiling like she'd just discovered a First Edition copy of Hogwarts, A History.

Draco frowned. "Do you really, though?" he said doubtfully. "You don't need to say it just because I said it." Hermione snuggled his head back down to her and caressed his hair.

"I do," she said thoughtfully. "I knew I did as soon as you asked me to come over and get drunk. You feel like home," she said seriously, looking into his eyes with tears watering up in hers. Draco smiled.

"What's home feel like?" he said, cuddling into her more tightly. "I've never known, mine was so bad." Hermione considered.

"It feels like my favorite old jumper that's ratty and falling apart and gotten so soft from all the washings and when I put it on, it's safe and familiar and comforting and I know that no matter what happens to me in that jumper, the situation would feel a thousand times worse if I didn't have it on." Draco hummed happily.

"I like that. I'm Crookshank's vomited up roadkill, and you're a ratty Quidditch jumper. We're a beautiful pair, 'Mione, my love." Hermione giggled.

"I'm not rising to that bait again," she said. "I love you, Draco," she added. "So much."

"I love you, too," he said, "and I'd love you even more if you told me it was ok for us to take a little nap here on the couch for awhile even though it's barely past noon."

"We are traumatized from the war and we shall sleep whenever we want," Hermione declared grandly. "Can you grab us the afghan?" Draco pulled it off the back of the couch and tucked it around them before sighing contentedly into Hermione's arms.

"Will you tell me what a male model is when we wake up?" he asked sleepily. "Is that a Muggle thing?"

"A male model?" Hermione said in confusion.

"Yes," Draco said with a self-satisfied smile. "You said I looked like one earlier and I want to know what it is because it sounds really good." Hermione smiled.

"Yes, I'll explain it to you," she said.

"Good," Draco said, almost asleep. "You need to teach me all about your Muggle things so I can share them with you," he said as he started to drift off. The sudden lump in Hermione's throat made her press extra kisses to her sleepy Slytherin's head as she cuddled him, feeling as though the world's rattiest jumper had just charmed itself onto her heart.

_Sighhhhhh... more chapters of yummy whipped cream fluffy goodness to follow... _


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N - So, I started this with the intention for it to go one place, and it ended up in quite another, perhaps even diving into PSA-land. Hm. I couldn't decide if that was weird or not, so I'm leaving it as is. Look, let's be real, some of the readers here may be younger (18 and older younger, ahem, M rating here) and even those of us older - when we were young, whose adult guardians actually gave them valuable information about how to have sex and talk about it? Anyone? Anyone? No hands? Bueller? So often I get pissed off at romance novels for ignoring vitally important information about the necessity of foreplay for a female's pain free and enjoyable sexual experience. If we can't even read in FICTION how to have good sex - and how to have actual conversations about sex - and we're not getting any lessons in real life... AND, if a preponderance of male partners in the world have gotten all of their information from porn which God, help us, is RARELY insightful or accurate about how to give a woman pleasure - and women have to not only advocate for their own pleasure but re-educate their men on correct technique vs blatantly painful and inaccurate misrepresentations (if said women are in hetero relationships, that is) shit, PSA Warrior comin at ya. Hope it's not too preachy. If it is, oh well, Next chapter is more yummy goodness. I think. I intend. If the muse cooperates. LMAO at myself taking up the sex education mantle. I watched that Dr Ruth documentary not too long ago. I blame her. But also society. We need more open dialogue, so, here's to Draco and Hermione having a conversation about sex. _

_Thank you so much for the follows and especially thanks to kh.4673 and the anonymous guest for the two reviews. You both made my day! _

Chapter 4

Hermione woke some time later with a sleeping Draco lodged most uncomfortably on her now very full bladder. If she hadn't had the insistent urge to pee, Hermione would have gladly stayed cozily tucked under him for the rest of the day, but the bathroom waits for no witch, so she gently kissed his head and started sliding out from under him, rolling him towards the back of the couch as she went so he wouldn't tumble over.

"What'sa…?" Draco mumbled sleepily as she got up.

"Bathroom," Hermione whispered to him. "I'll be right back."

"Mm-kay," Draco murmured.

When Hermione got back to the couch, Draco had taken her spot and was lying on his back, so Hermione slipped the cover off and climbed on top of him, snuggling herself against him as she stretched out like Crookshanks did to her every night while she slept.

Draco groaned a bit as she got settled, slowly waking up. "'Morning," he said to her blearily.

"'Afternoon, actually," Hermione giggled back.

"Even better," Draco responded. "I hate mornings," he said, hugging her closer and fidgeting with her hair, twisting and twirling curls around his fingers. Hermione sighed and pressed herself into him, thinking happily that this was the first of all of the thousands of future times that they'd wake up warm and cozy together.

Draco gripped her shoulder. Somewhat hard.

"Draco?" Hermione asked him.

"Did you take your bra off?" he asked her, his eyes suddenly fully alert and voice clear and decidedly un-sleepy. Hermione widened her eyes.

"Um… yes…?" she said, started to turn red and trying to pull her chest away from him a little bit. "In the bathroom," she said. "Bras are so uncomfortable and I didn't think you'd notice and we were sleeping..."

"Oh, I noticed," Draco said with a wicked smile. Hermione turned red as a beet.

"Merlin, I'm so sorry!" she stammered. "I didn't mean anything… I wasn't - I'll go put it back on," she started to say, about to get up. Draco tugged her back down.

"It's fine, 'Mione," he said, sincerely this time. "You don't have to wear it and be uncomfortable. I'll be a gentleman. Although you may have to ignore my hard-on," he added, with a small smile, shifting a bit. Hermione bit her lip, as it was impossible for her to blush more, and tried to brave through the awkwardness.

"Well… I guess I can ignore your … wood … if you can ignore my tits," she said finally, laughing a little bit.

"I'm not an animal," Draco said, patting her head gently. "You'll always be safe with me. But don't rub up against me _there_," he added in warning, although with a smile.

"Ok," Hermione laughed weakly, adjusting herself with more care as to her position against him before relaxing into him again. Draco huffed out a sigh a few minutes later.

"Well, now I'm wide awake," he said with a playful grin. "So what do you want to do for the rest of the day, 'Mione?"

"What are our options?" Hermione asked lazily.

"Well," Draco said thoughtfully, "I spend most days drinking heavily, passing out, eating whatever's closest at hand, occasionally rummaging through Snape's library thinking I'll start reading again, turning a single page before getting profoundly frustrated, cursing profusely, and pouring more firewhiskey."

"Oh," said Hermione politely. "I spend most days sleeping off the effects of Dreamless Sleep, then wandering about my flat like a little groggy ghost in a way that's very upsetting to Crookshanks, who follows me around, then collapsing onto the couch when he wears me down, and watching Muggle TV until it's dark again outside and then I take Dreamless Sleep and start all over."

"I hope you feed poor old Crooks in there somewhere," Draco said compassionately.

"Oh, yes, that, too," Hermione said. "He wouldn't let me forget that."

"Good," Draco said. "What's Muggle TV?" Hermione thought.

"It's like… theatre… apparitions, sort of… except they're real people who've done them and… Muggle science - that's like Muggle magic - saves the images and makes them reappear."

"Hm," said Draco thoughtfully. "Could we get a Muggle TV here?"

"You want to watch Muggle TV here at Spinner's End?" Hermione asked him with some disbelief.

"Yes," Draco said, as if his request was perfectly reasonable and obvious. "With you. And Crooks." He suddenly looked a little shy. "I was hoping you'd move in with me," he said hopefully. "Not to have sex," he rushed to say, "not until you're ready. But just to be here, with me. I hate being by myself but you're the only person I've ever wanted to let in."

Hermione's eyes had softened and started sparkling while he spoke and when he finished she carefully leaned over and kissed him. "I would _love_ to move in," she said sincerely. "Is today ok?" she asked.

"_Yes_!" Draco said happily. "Today is perfect, 'Mione," he said, kissing her some more. Hermione happily leaned into him and kissed him back until they were making out. As her insides fluttered and she felt so happy, she rolled on top of him until Draco suddenly froze as she ground against his erection.

"Mione…" he said warningly, sitting up and pushing her off. Hermione bit her lip, kneeling on the couch in front of him.

"I love you," she said, warmly gazing into his eyes with light and laughter and happiness glowing out of her own that hadn't been there since before the War.

"I love you, too," Draco said cautiously, not wanting to keep his eyes from shining back at her with all the love he felt, but gently leaning forward to hold her upper arms. "We're not having sex today," he told her preemptively. Hermione's mouth dropped open.

"Why not?" she sputtered. "I want to, Draco. I love you," she insisted. "I'm ready," she pleaded seductively when he appeared unmoved.

"Baby, you spent the morning drinking firewhiskey and the afternoon snuggled under the hottest Wizard in England."

"In the world," Hermione corrected with a cute wink.

"In the world," Draco agreed. "And you know I would _love_ to have sex with you, baby, but you shouldn't have your first time when you're feeling all impulsive and swept off your feet."

Hermione looked profoundly unconvinced. "I'm not going to change my mind about loving you, Draco," she insisted.

"I know," Draco grinned cockily before sobering a bit. "But if you think you're ready and you're really not and it's too soon and you regret it later… I couldn't live with myself, baby," Draco said honestly, rubbing his hands along her arms up and down. "I don't want to be worried when I'm taking your virginity that you're going to be sorry about it the next day. I need to know for sure that you're ready and …" he paused regretfully. "We just reconnected today. Literally a few hours ago. So I just want to wait for my own peace of mind, ok, baby?" he asked her tenderly.

Hermione sighed but she couldn't help melting into him for a hug. "Why are you so sweet?" she asked him, kissing his neck. Draco laughed.

"I don't think anyone has ever in my life accused me of being sweet," he said.

"_So_ sweet," Hermione murmured, "and so very Slytherin, hiding all that sweetness away so almost nobody can find it."

"No one except you," Draco smiled at her. "Busting through all my defenses with that Gryffindor go-get-em attitude," he grinned.

"Well…." Hermione said, "maybe I like trampling all over that Slytherin sneakiness and finding out all your secrets," she smiled at him, kissing his cheek as he held her waist gently.

"Maybe I like taunting you with secrets just so you'll come looking for them," Draco flirted back.

"Maybe I want your secret inside of me," Hermione pouted, groaning into his neck when Draco just laughed.

"Nope," he said, unruffled. "Not today, witch."

"There's _no_ way I could convince you today?" Hermione asked with as much sugar as she could put into her voice.

"I don't believe so," Draco said thoughtfully, "but Hermione Granger is the brightest witch of our age, so if you want to try to find a solution, be my guest. You know I want to fuck you," he reassured her, rubbing her hair and scrunching up its springiness. "And soon," he added. "As soon as I'm sure you really won't be sorry later." Hermione sighed.

"Ok… I do understand that," she said regretfully. "And I really do love you, Draco, and love you looking out for me and love that you feel comfortable telling me you want to wait. Oh! - " Hermione suddenly said in panic.

"Shit! Was I being like Ron and pressuring you? Oh, God, I didn't mean -"

"Hermione! _Hermione!_" Draco said insistently. "_No_. Calm down, babe," he said, giving her a hug.

"You were not pressuring me. We were having a discussion and you were expressing your desire to find a mutually agreeable solution."

"You're sure?" she asked him, a little fearfully. "I don't want to be the witch who can't take no for an answer, and -"

"'Mione!" Draco burst out over her. "You were being cute and flirty and asking me a question. It's fine, ok, baby?" he said more gently. "You're allowed to have a discussion with me. You weren't calling me a cold, frigid bitch and trying to guilt me into it like a certain weasel we both know and hate. I'm responsible for saying no when I feel no and asking me a question is not the same - at ALL - as emotionally abusing me and trying to pressure me into it. Ok?" he asked her, looking at her with concerned eyes to make sure she really took in what he was saying. Hermione looked uncertain so he continued.

"If I wanted to end the conversation, I would have told you to stop asking about it. And if you kept going after that, that would have been a problem. But I didn't tell you to stop because I don't mind you talking to me about what you want. I know my own mind, babe, and it doesn't bother me to know yours, too. And I want to have sex with you as soon as possible, ok?" he said reassuringly. Hermione slowly nodded, looking calmer, leaning in to give him another hug.

"I'm sorry for freaking out," she said, hugging him tight. "Sex is weird to talk about it."

"I know. That's why we need to practice talking about it," Draco said encouragingly, rubbing her back. "Ok? I'm glad you checked in when you started to feel worried." He stroked her hair some more. "And I could barely tell you earlier that I still had my cherry so I guess we both need practice," he said, smiling more easily as Hermione started to grin back at him.

"We'll get better at it," he promised.

"You're right," Hermione said reflectively. "We _were_ the top two students in our classes, after all. If anyone can learn how to have difficult conversations about difficult things -"

"It's us," Draco said with certainty.


End file.
